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Glastron Molinari Restoration

Glastron Molinari Restoration

I’m helping a friend restore a circa 69/70 Glastron Molinari and I need help form the community. We have loads of questions and could use some expert advice.

We are aiming to restore it “in the spirit” of the original with some realistic additions. It was originally fitted with an Evinrude 100. We have most of the components to recreate the engine, all be it as a 150. It has an authentic mid section, geared lower unit, pan and cover. However we are missing the engine cover gasket and need help identifying the original engine paint color. We could also use some insight into prop sizes.

I have a gazillions of questions regarding set-up. The boat was never equipped with power trim. While we want to stay true to the period, these suckers do go over. Consequently we are going to install trim. Does any one out there have a lead on an old OMC electric unit?

I have tons of questions regarding rigging. Gas tank size & fittings, gauges, steering, paint and decals all need to be sorted out. We would greatly appreciate any help you can provide, including pictures.

This is turning out to be an exciting project that we hope to get done in short order. Anything you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Speaking of Glastron Molinari restorations, has any one heard any thing about the 21' Glastron Molinari twin (pictures below) that Kim Cleckler bought back in the spring of 2006 to restore? I was hoping to see that one up and running by now. He was going to put a set of stackers on it.

Scott, Good luck on the restoration. I worked at the Austin, Texas Glastron factory. Drove the twin Molly. I just talked with Bobby Witt from Baytown, Texas about your project. He drove for Evenrude(sp) back in the late 60's and 70's. He can give you absolute details of what they were rigged with. I gave him the address of Screan & Fly and hopefully he will be on board soon. Check the serial # for me and mabe I can give you some history on that hull. The # should be located about where your left knee would be when sitting in the seat, possibly close to the tunnel floor.

Thanks for the Help!

Originally Posted by jlf56

Scott, Good luck on the restoration. I worked at the Austin, Texas Glastron factory. Drove the twin Molly. I just talked with Bobby Witt from Baytown, Texas about your project. He drove for Evenrude(sp) back in the late 60's and 70's. He can give you absolute details of what they were rigged with. I gave him the address of Screan & Fly and hopefully he will be on board soon. Check the serial # for me and mabe I can give you some history on that hull. The # should be located about where your left knee would be when sitting in the seat, possibly close to the tunnel floor.

Joe Fielder

Thank you everyone for all the help.

Joe: I'll post the serial # as soon as I can get it off the boat. Thanks for speaking to Bobby Witt. He would be a welcome addition to the board.

Scot...Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Obviously it needs quite a bit of work to bring her back to her original form, but it will be well worth the effort. I hope that you post your progress on the site as you proceed, unlike Kim Cleckler who made a big deal of posting his story when he first got his Glastron tunnel to restore and never posted again. It will be interesting to see if any members know the history of this one. Happy Restoration..

A picture is worth a thousand words

The bits of yellow showing thru the red make me think it was originally this paint scheme, but the shape of the cowling in front of the cockpit does look like the red and white boat. Those 2 details may narrow this boat's identity. The red and white boat has Rideguide steering, yours was set up with cable like the yellow boat. What is the name painted on the side? It looks a little bit like Berghauer, but at the same time, it looks like the g and h are reversed. I bet Joe and Bobby can tell a lot from these details.

Mark 75H,
The picture you posted is the "first" 18 ft Glass Molly. The picture was taken from the top of Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis, Austin, Texas in 1969. It was published on the Glastron booklet for Molinaria's that year. There was a second boat just to the left of the single, it was the Second glass twin, I had already destroyed #1 at Smith Mountian lake, Va. that spring. In the picture, I was driving the twin and Gene Piehl was driving the single.
You are right on about the cowling. It has been modified at the back. All molly cowlings were rounded all the way back, no flare or hump. Also, all 18 ft galss boats were made at our California factory, Art Carlson Boats was bought out by Glastron and they built all Glass Molly's. They all were Yellow with Black trim. We, "Glastron Factory Team, Gene Piehl - Single 18 ft and I 21 ft twin, used the cable steering at Renato's suggestion. The boats all came bare hull with no steering or engine mount holes.
The large hole between the engine mount holes tell me that either a Johhy-Rude or Merk. could have been used last. Several ideas were used from time to time for power trim on both engines and this hole for one ram through the transome was one.
Also notice the sponson (rear view), it has had a strake added to the upper outer edge. This gave the boat a higher ride in the rear but did not over the rocker bottom problem of "nose too high" attitude. I can tell you some almost unbelievable stories about strakes on both the single & twin.
Scott, The Yellow & Black are in the Gel-Coat. All added colors should be able to be removed if you want the original color.

Details Details

Joe/Mark 75:

Thanks again for the great information. You guys are a big help.

We recognized the rear cowling issue. Fortunately it is a relatively simple add-on that should be easy to remove. The plan is to strip the red paint and take it back to the original yellow with the black stripes and factory stickers

The last engine was a Mercury but, interestingly, did not have any trim. Joe had the hole put in the transom in preparation for adding a ram style trim set-up.

The strake is new news. Do you think it will help or should it be removed?

Scot,
The added strake will give a little rear lift to the boat and make for a smoother ride in rough water. If you want an original Molly, remove it. If you are going to run or race the boat, add another strake in the middle of the sponson. That is, half way between the added one and the bottom of the sponson (tunnel wall). If you use a right hand engine, make the right strake (looking from the back) a minus 5 degrees (from level to the world) and the left strake plus 5 degrees. This combination will hold the hull up in the turning "left" situation and smooth out most rough water.
Also, "Jack Plates" weren't around back then but if I were setting this boat up I would use one as well as power trim. The plate might save you from blowing over while running into the wind. The rooker bottom design was supposed to run nose high.
While looking at the sponsons if you use a straight edge you should find a hook at the back of about 1/4" or more. DO NOT TAKE THIS OUT. This is what holds the boat to the water. There were some folks that did and they put it back in, after they blew over a time or two !!
Also, would you mind lookin in the round hole in the transome and tell me if the transome is made of plywood or Balsawood ?? Somewhere out there is a Hull we called "Light Weight". Art Carlsom made it as an experment, as was the 21 ft I crashed at Havasu in 70. The only plywood in the boat was the deck supports from the top of the tunnel to the deck. He used Alu. aircraft honeycome for sponson filler and Balsawood for the transome. The hull weight, as best I remember was 270# bare w/ cowling. I took this boat to Havasu in 1971, it was #44 I painted it white (over the original Yellow) and painted "Wonder Where The Yellow Went" on both decks. (That was a personal thing between Bob Hammond & me). I had added the two strakes we are talking about and the boat was a screamer. We saw 101 + MPH at Havasu with a fuel load. Only problem was the right hand turn at the start finish line, the strakes held it up too much. Running 100 + MPH sideways it a bit un-nerving !!!
Blew an engine at about lap 12 or 14. Another "Rough Going " award from Havasu (1970 & 1971) I sold that hull while Don Pruitt and I had Stoway Cove Marina in St. Pete Fla in 72 or 73, can't remember. Never heard what happened to that hull.
Need to get back to work ! Remembering all the racing history makes my back hurt